Railway block-signal.



J. sH'ANBmN & J. E. WOOD.

. BLOCK SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1908.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E-AEY E JawwZfWmdfi J. SHANNON & J.- E. WOOD.

RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1908.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 l Jail/z JIM/M012 Jar/zeal? Wami J. SHANNON & J. E.W001). RAILWAY BLOGK SIGNAL.

0,315? ABPLIGATION FILED MAAYQ, 190s. Patented Oct. 6 1908-SSHEBTS-SHEET 3.

. -1 I WIIIIIIlI/llgl 1 I EVER L P nan "snares 'JOEN SHANNONAND JAMES E.woonf, OPPORTLAND, onneon narawsv nnocmsrenan Remo els. v

I Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented'ostfsggreos.

. Application filed na -anus. Serial No. 131,933.

To allwkom itmay 'cohcem: Be it known thatwe, JOHN SHANNON and James- E.Woon, citizens. of the v.United States, residing at Portland, in thecounty of Multnomah, State of Oregom'have invented a new and usefulRailway Block-Signal, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improveis to provide a means whereby,when a semahore or target .on the line of way, is set at anger anoperating member in the track will be moved into the pathyof anotheropcrating member upona loc motive engine so that. the two memberscooperating-will cause the air brakes to be set when the englineman:fails to stop on the display of the er signal. p

is invention is .an improvement upon the railway block signal shown inLetters- Fatent #863,102, granted to us on August 13, 1907. 'Theinvention' set forth in the aforesaid Letters-Patent consistsessentially of an inclined member in the track or along the lineof-way,conn.ected to and operate 1 by the target-setting mechanism.There is rovided an. air

coming from the air" rake system,

pipe wluc arr, 1pc carries an air valve so located beneath t e engine asto be inthe path of a reciprocating member also,

' carried by the enginev and actuated by the inclined memberin-thelin'eyof way, when the I. said inclined member is sufficientlyelevated. tocome into the path of the en e-carried In accordance with tc said inmember. vention set forth in the'said Letters-Patent, the airvalvelmay also have a connection to a point within reach of theengineman so that the air may be closedofi' .when it is desired torelease the'brakes in the usual manner.

The present invention comprises improvemcnts .in the track member,whereby the latter is better adapted for the purposes of 'theinvention,and also improvements in the member carried by the engine, so that theengine l carried member coacts with the track member in a better mannerthan. is

the case with the structure shown in the Letters-Patent.

The invention also comprises improvements in other features of thestructure, all of which will be best understood from a con- I siderationof the following detail descriptiontaken connection-with the accomanying drawings forming a part of this speci cation,

in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagram in perspective show-.

ing the application of the invention to the railroad of the single tracktype. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine-carried memher andalongitudinal section of the track member, the two members being incoeperative relation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the structure ofFig. 2 as viewed from the pilot end of the engine, parts'being shown msection and broken away. Fig. 4 is a section of the track member on theline A-B ofFig. 2,. and on a somewhat larger scale.

many track members as there are signals to be operated. The system is ablock system and consequently each track member will control a suitablesemaphore, or target or other. signal at the block station.

In the figures referred to there is shown a base member 1 in the form ofa plate of suitable width and length so that its ends may rest upon twoties 2, and from these ties the base member slopes downwardly toward thecenter from each end, as best shown in Fig. 2. The ends of the basic:member 1 are bent upward and then are returned -on themselves parallelwith the base member but spaced therefrom, and finally terminate in adownturned end approaching but. still spaced from the basic membeiz. Theends 3 thus form guides or pockets with narrowed throats opening towarthe center of the basic mcmber;

members or :wings 5 secured to the basic member near the sides thereof;These side members gradually increase in height from the ends of thebasic member towardthe center thereof where the side members are thehighest. v p

The basic-member 1 and the sides 5, which latter are parallel one to'the otherqand spaced apart, constitute the stationary portion of t etrack member and between the Rising from the basic member 1 are sideties 2 other supporting blocks ortiesfi may he provided.

members are other blocks 11.

and iireceive the ends of str ngexpantheir side walls gradually.decreasing in height from one end toward the other. The parts 7, 7 arejoined at their angles by a pivot belt or rod 8, and these two parts sopivoted together constitute a cover for the. basic member, and the sidesof these two parts 7, 7 straddle the sides 5 of the said basic member.The narrow ends of the parts 7 7 are turned on themselves to form beads9, which beads are housed in the pockets or guides 3 ,and theockets areof sufficient length to permit a limited longitudinal movement of thebeaded ends 9 with reference to the basic member 1.

On each side of the center of the basic member 1 there are fafiened tothe latter blocks 1, and lmilarl cated on the top These blocks sicnhelical springs l tending at all times to hit the 'me '1? heir centraipoints away from he basic in her 1. Thisn1ove ment, however, is ed bythe engage ent of the beads with the downturned Pivotally secured thecenter of the rod 8 by mea; of an eye 13, is a link 14 the other end of"which is formed into an elongated eye 15.

Through the central portion of the basic member 1 is an opening 16, andto one side ofthis opening on the bottom of the basic member are twobrackets 17 spaced apart andreceiving between them beil-crank lever 13,this lever being pivoted to the bracket 17 at one angle, by means of apivot bolt 19. The bell-crank. lever is made up of two substantiallytriangular plates 20 spaced apart so as to receive at one end theelongated eye 15 of the link 14 by means of a rivet or bolt 21, and atthe otherend or angie one end of a link 22 by means of a rivet or bolt23. The purpose of the link 22 will appear hereinafter.

in Figs. 2 and 3 a portion of an engine frame is indicated at 24. Faston the frame 24. is a laterally-extending bracket 25 termi-' shoe 29,preferably made of channel iron'for lightness and strength. The shoe 29-normally extends downward at an angle, and 1ts I free end is upturnedfor a distance, as indi cated at 30. The lowermost portion of the shoe29 is rounded in a longitudinal direction and is designed to engage theinclined upper surfaces of the members 7 of the track device.

The free end 30-of the shoe'29 is supported by a chain 31 from the frame24 and limits the downward movement of the shoe 29 but brake system ofthe train.

permits the shoe to be lifted to any desired extent.

Mounted on the engine frame is an air pipe 32, supported near its endsin brackets 33, in which the pipe 32 is capable of turning on alongitudinal anis. Beyond oneof the brackets 33 the pipe 32 is screwedinto the smaller end of a coupling 34, the other end of which isthreaded to receive a bushing 35 havinga plain central opening for thepassage of a pipe 36 coming from the train pipe of the air The pipe 36enters the coupling 34 and is there formed with an annular flange 37entering the counterbored portion of the bore of the coupling The pipe36 is held in the coupling 3% by the bushing- 35 engaging the flange 37through an interposed packing ring 38. By this means the pipe 32 and thecoupling 34, with the parts carriedthcreby, may be rotated on alongitudinal axis without disturb: ing the pipe. 36, and at the sametime air under pressure from the train pipe is prevented fromescaping'at the joint by the packing ring 38.

East on the pipe 32 is a collar 39 from which radiates an arm 40, andconnected to the end of this arm 40 is a link ll which in turn may beconnected to suitable other ounnections within reach of the engineman inthe cab of the engine. It is not deemed necessary to illustrate theconnections of the link 41 to the engine cab, as these connections maybe of any desired. type.

On the' pipe 32 remote from the coupling 34 and beyond the correspondingbracket 33 is secured a valve member 42 having a hol low body portion offrusto-conical shape, and through one side wall of this body portion isa port 43. Thevalve member 42 has formod on it at the pipe end anexterior circumferential flange 44, which flange, howcv -r,- is

cut away for about one-half oi its circmnference. Exterior to the valvemember 12 another valve member 45 having a frustoconical or taperinginner surface closely litting the outer surface of the valve member 42.The valve member 45 is provided with a longitudinally-extending lug 46entering the space in the cutaway portion of the flange -14 on themember 42. The lug 46 is of less ciroumferential length than the cutawayportion of-the flange 44 so that the member 45 may, have a linn'tedcircumferential movement upon the member 42. The valve member 42 beyondthe member -15 is formed with a neck threaded on the exterior for thereception of nuts 47, one of which serves to confine the valve member 45on the valve member 42 and the other of which acts as a lock nut for the'first nut. Beyond the threaded neck is a continuation thereof shown at+18 and plain on the exterior, so as to be jourframefZ r. Theinterior ofthe portion 48 is chaste closed by the-plug 50, which should make anair. tight connection at this point. Under some .circumstances it may bedesirable to another pipe to the neck extension eh case the plug 50 isomitted, is screwed directly into the said fmember 45 "is: rovide'd witha; h maybe move into and out of -1th the port 43.and the valve member4g,- .=and this port. 51 communicates -with the external atmosphere. 1'5

Projecting radially from the'valve member 45 is an arm 52, and this armis in the path of the upper end 53 of a rod 54 connected at its lowerend by a-pivot pin 55 to the side walls of the channel iron constitutingthe shoe 29. r The upper end of the rod 54 is guided by a, plate '56fast onthe frame-24 and extending under the valve made upof the members42 and 45, and this plate is turned u over. the valve to project intothe path of t e arm 52 thereby limiting the movement of'this arm in anupward direction,'the downward movement of the said arm being limited bythe upper end of the rod 54. 4

The rod 22 fast to the bell-crank lever '18 is continued .away from thetrackto a semaphore post and is there connected to a bellcrank lever 56which in turn is connected by a link 57 to a semaphore'arm '58, and thebellcrank 56 is in turn connected by 'a rod or link- 59 to a suitablepoint of manipulation by an operator stationed at the correspondingblock station. x

It will be assumedv that the system is applied to a single track systemsuch as shown in Fig] 1, then there will be two sema hore arms 58 uponeach semaphore post at a lock station, and there will also be two trackmembers under the control of the operator at the particular blockstation. Let it be assumed that at some particular block station thesemaphore arm. or target 58 is set in the danger position. -Under theseconditions the rod 22 is moved in the direction toward the track member,and :under the action of the springs 12 the movable parts 7 are raisedto the position shown in Fig. 2.. .The highest ringlicontrolled parts 7areportion of the s in the path of t oes 29 on the engine. Should anengineman fail to observe or obey the block against him, then assoon'asthe engine arrives'at one of the track members the shoe willengage-the inclined surface of the part 7 and ride thereupon and beelevated thegsaid inclined surface. sufficiently strong to cause theelevationofthe free end of the shoe 29, but at the same time may yield alittle to prevent too hard in-ipact, thus providing a certain yieldingor elasticity whichwill-tend to prevent damage to the; structures. Whenthe shoe 29 is ele- 29, so that an engine may member Without the brakesThere is shown the when actuated by the track member. now, the train hasbeen stop ed and it is de- The springs 12 are target.

'vfated the upper endiof. the rod 54, which is normally in contact, withthe arm 52, causes the latter to be moved upward, and the valve imem'ber45 is correspondingly rotated upon its longitudinal until-stopped 'bythe overhang 57. 'This movement'of the valve member 45 will bring theports 43 and 51 in 4 coincidence,- and the train pipe is thereby putinto communication with the externaLatmosphere.' This will reduce thetrain pipe pressure and the brakes will be applied in the usualmannenthefapplication of the brakes being either the emergency or thefullservice, application, depending upon the size of the ports 43 and51. This will occur whenever a tram passes a block station with thetarget held. against it, no matter what mfay be 'the cause of the-trainpassing such station, and I this stoppingof the train is entirelyoutside the volition of the enginemanL- Should it" transpire that thetargetis set at safety, then the rod. 22. is moved away from the trackmember and-the bellwcraiik fleve'r 18 is moved on its pivot from theposition shown 1 in Fig-.- 4 to. a position drawing-thej-link =14downward and thereby mo. also downward against th' springs 12 and .outof the p p) s: the. track eing' applied.- osition of the members 42 and45 of the va ve controlling thetrain pipewhen the valve is in its normalposition,

thatis with the ports 43- and 51 out of coincidence and the arm 52inoperative relation'to the rod 54.: In F1 8 the position of the twomembers of the va v'e is shown when the latter has beenoperated by the;movement of the rod 54 under the action of the shoe sirable that thebrake be re eased, thenthe engineman, through a suitable manipulation ofthe rod'41, is enabled to turn the pipe 32 on its longitudinal axis,-and so by the engage- 'ment of t e flange 44 with the lug 46 on thevalve member 45, restore the latter to the valve in the train pi eha'sbeen operated to an extent. to open t e train pipe to the ex-fiternalatmosphere, and thus set the brakes. The eye 15 in the link 14permits the downward movement oi the link with the part 7 connectedthereto, underthe impact of the shoe 29' without putting strain upon 7the bell-crank lever 18 or the rod 22.

p This invention has been described as adapted for a block system. It isto be under-- stood that it is equally adapted for a train order system,and in practice it is so used, therefore, the term block system or blocksignal is to be understood as .comprehend ing a train order system orblock system in differently.

The link 41 is, in practice, usually operated by the foot of the engine,man,'but n some engines it may be necessary to otherwise cause theoperation of the valve controlled by said link and so the invention isnot to be understood as limited to the use of the opersting meansindicated by the link 41..

What is claimed is 1. In a railway block signal, a'track mom bercomprising a main section, twovertically 'section, the said yieldingsections being thereof.

yielding sections hinged together at their normally highest point, and asliding con nection with the base section at their ends, and springshoused in the track member between the base and the yielding sections.

in a railway block signal, a track member comprising a base sectionhaving spaced sides, two vertically-yielding sections having sidesstraddling the s ace-d sides of the base hinged together at theirnormally highest points and in sliding connection with the see sectionat their ends, andsprings housed in. the track riiember between thebase-and yielding sections in the space between the sides thereof.

in a railway block system, a track menu ber comprising a base sectionwith spaced sides wide at the middle and sloping toward the ends, twoyielding sections joined at contiguous ends and having slidingconnection with the base section at the ends of the lat ter, the saidyielding sections'liaving sides widest at the junction of the. saidsections and tapering toward the ends, andsprings between the basesection and the yielding sections and housed between the s des at. In arailway signal system, a track- -member comprising a base section withed between the sides of thebase section engagmgthe topsectrons;

5. In a railway block signal, a track momber comprising a base sectionwith spaced sides tapering from the center toward the ends,. the basesection having the ends returned upon themselves in spaced relation tosaid base section to form guideways or pockets, top sectionshaving sidesstraddling the sides of the base section, the: said too sections beingjoined together midway of the length of the base section and the sidesof the top sections tapering toward the ends of the base section and.the ends of the to p sections entering the guidesor pockets at the endsof the base section, springs supportcd and housed in the base sectionand engaging the topsections, and manipulating moans con nected to thejoined ends of the top so :.;.:ns. 6. In a railway block signal, a arc.a mom-- ber having two vertically yielding sections connected at theircontiguous ends and capa- 'ble of sliding movement at their remote ends,

and mani ulating means connected to the joined en s of the ieldingsections.

7. In 'a railway block signal a track member having two verticallyyielding sections connected at their contiguous ends and capable ofsliding movement at their remote ends, manipulating means connected tothe joined ends of the yielding sections, and a sem'a horeor signalincluded in and actuated by said manipulating means.

- 8. In a railway block signal, a vertically yielding track member, andmanipulating meanstherefor including a bell-crank leyor below the middleportion of the yielding member, and a con ling between the bell cranklever and sai yielding member consisting of a link connected at one endto the middle portion of the yielding member and at theother end havinga long eye connection to the bell crank lever.

'9. In a railway block signal, a. vertically yielding track member, abell-crank lever below the middle portion of the yielding member, acoupling between the bell-crank lever and said yielding memberconsisting of a link connected at one end to the middle portion of theyielding member and at the other end having a long eye connection to thebell-crank lever, connections from the bell-crank lever to a point ofmanipulation, and a semaphore or signal means connected to and actuatedby said laSt--named connections.

10. In a railway block signal, a track member, atrain-carried membercomprising a shoe pivotally supported at one end and yieldinglysupported at the-other end, and means carried by the shoe for operatingtraimcontrolling devices.

11. In a railway block signal, a track member, a train carried membercomprising a shoe pivotally supported at one end and yieldinglysupported at the-other end, a

' sliding rod carried by the shoe, a valve in the chain support for tsliding rod carried by the shoe, and a valve in the path of said rod.

13. In a railway block-signal, a'trackmember, a train-carried member,and means controlled by the train-carried member, for

' o erating the brake system of the train,

comprising a valve movable by the train-carriedmember, andan air pipecoupling the valve to the air system of'the air pipe being movable aboutits longitudinal axis and also controlling the valve.

14. In a railway block signal, a track member, a train carried member,and means controlled by the. train-carried member for operating thebrake system of the train, comprising a valve movable by thetrain-carried member, an air pipe coupling the valve to the air systemof the air brake, said pipe being movable about its longitudinal axisand also controlling the valve, and means controllable from a distancetoactuate the air pipe.

p the air system 0 15. In a railway block signal, a track member, atrain-carried member, and means controlled by the train-carried memberfor operating the brake system of the train comprising a valve movableby the train-carried member, an air pipe between the valve and the airbrake, and a swivel coupling betweenthe air pipe and the train pipe ofthe air brake system, whereby said air pipe may be moved about.itslongitudinal axis and so control the valve. 1 1 16. In a railwayblock signal, a track member, a train-carried member, and a valve on thetrain controlling the air brake system and itself controlled by thetrain carried member, said valve comprising two ported members bothmovable on a lon itudinal axis and one movable relatively to t e other.

17.. In .a railway block signal, a track member,'a train-carried member,and a valve on the traincontrolling the air brake system and itselfcontrolled by the train-carried member,.-said valve comprising twoported members both movable on a longitudinal axis, one valve memberbeing movable by .the train-carried member, and means other than thetram-carried member for moving the other valve member.

18. In a railway block signal, a track member, a train-carried member,and a valve on thetrain controlling the air brake system e other end ofthe shoe, a

itself controlled by the trai brake, said' and itself controlled by thetrain-carried member, said valve com rising two concentric portedmembers both movable on a longitudinal axis,- one valve member beingmovable by the train-carried member, and means other than thetrain-carried member for moving'the othervalve member to restore the airbrake system tonormal working conditions.

19. In a railway block signal, a track member, a train-carried member, avalve on the train controlling the air brake system and Ir-carriedmember, said valve comprising two concentric ported members, onemovable. on its longitudinal axis by the train-carried member to bringits port into coincidence with' the port in the other member and so openthe air brake system to the atmosphere, and means controllable'onthetrain for moving the other valve "member on its longitudirial'axis torestore the first valve -memberto normal position and so close the airbrake system to the at mosphere.

' 20. Injia railway block signa1,'a track- I member, a train-carriedmember, a valve in the train pipe of the air .brake system on the train,sa d valve comprising two ported members, one member being under the(3011-. trol of the train carried member, a pipe connected to the othervalve member, a swivel connection between the said pipe and the trainpipe of thebrake syst'em,jand means for rotating the first-named pipetogether with the valve member carried thereby on its lon itudinal axis.

21. p n a railway block signal, a track member, a train-carried member,and a valve in the train pipe of the air brake system on the train, saidvalve comprising two concentric ported members, one valve member being.under the control of the. train-carried member when actuated by thetrack member, and the other valve member being controllable from thetrain, each of said valve members being independently rotatable onits'longitudinal axis for a limited distance, one valve member havingan'incomplete annular flange and the other valve member having a lugentering between the ends of the incomplete flange on thefirst-namedvalve member to cause the two valve members to move togetherafter completing their independent movement.

In testimony that-we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN SHANNON. JAMES E. WOOD. Witnesses:

D. SoLIs COHEN, .ALEX B. M.-STE1N.

